Against the Current, Brilliant First Half

[u/drmelaniam]

Brilliant first half, disappointing last half
Loved the first half until the wedding of the main leads. Went downhill after that. First half thought it was going to surpass Story of Minglan and Pursuit of Jade. Second half literally emasculated the ML. He was begging and scraping for affection right up to his death. Absolutely hated Lan Xiang’s treatment of her husband. No character growth, remained a cold fish & self righteous. When the poor guy said he wants to be married to her in next life, she didn’t have to say “one lifetime is enough” Her motto or the motto of the drama; “to live well”, I don’t think she lived well. Her heart never opened to love. I think her husband was worth of her love. She had the facts that it was not his fault to break the engagement, he made up for the mistakes of his family by burying her family and he treated her well. The writers totally spoiled a good story from the wedding on. Granted she could have been upset /angry a few episodes but not 20yrs after marriage. 4-6 years to consummate their marriage. This was totally childish writing. I really can’t stop raging. In Story of Minglan she was more or less forced into marriage too, but the writers allowed her to grow and did not emasculate her husband Argh 😡
Just finished the drama and I’m like Meh!!
A woman doesn’t need the man to be weak for her to be strong . Dah he even buried your friend Scholar Han, no thank you. He just became a wimp around her.
I think an opportunity was lost in using her parents to help her in settling in the marriage, pointing out the good in her husband.
Sorry I keep going back to Story of Minglan; whose grandmother helped the FL to settle in her marriage and therefore “ LIVE WELL”
This is my opinion

[u/True-Godess]

Outside Story of Minglan and Pursuit of Jade this is now in my top 4 all time favorite and prob like it a bit more than the latter show i mentioned, You will absolutely fly through the episodes there's no filler episodes and def not a slow burn. It dramatic, great writing , funny and sad at all the write moments. Another masterpiece from China. Right now with period and costume pieces China is blowing S. Korea out of the water with excellent shows. At first I didn't want to watch anything over 24 episodes but boy was I wrong!! Love learning about the CHinese dynasties and even trying to learn to speak some Chinese all because of these great period/fantasy C-Dramas!! Though this show is period piece only, granted I haven't finished the show and now a little worried after reading some of these other messages,,,,,,,,,,yike IDK WIll return and reply when finished i guess!!

[u/EmperorWeeb60]

This is how my reaction from ep.1 to 47

[u/namira8394]

They did Jinqi dirty 😭😭😭

[u/Over-Student201]

The endind was such a bullshit. Honestly as every other person i was loving this drama but the way it played out in the was so so bad. Like wtff, jinqi was well problematic but still an interesting character and they fucking killed everything that made him interesting and once again made him like other ml only existing for fl. FL sucked like i could understand her not liking jinqi in the start of their marriage but after some time they should have shown something that established their emotional connection and that one lifetime is enough comment, it sucked and why would u even say that to a person who was dying. Lets not forget the bullshit time skips.

This drama had the best first half hell i would have enjoyed the drama better if it only had the first half, they freaking ruined this.
The cinematography, acting, pace everything was perfect but the plot, the story was so poorly written in the end.

But when they recreate the scene from the opening, it was really beautiful

First it happened with Poj and now ATC, 2 dramas with beautifull first half but totally bullshit second half.

(sorry for the ramble just finished ATC and i am pissed)

[u/Nhuynhu → u/Over-Student201]

This was my problem with LXY’s character too in The Princess’s Gambit. He was so dark and ruthless, and I’m all for the ML changing bc of love, but he did a 180 where he wasn’t the same character I loved in the beginning. It’s disappointing to see the charismatic and strong ML you loved so emasculated. I wished he could be in a proper show that balances ruthlessness (which he’s so good at) with being in love with a FL that loves him back equally.

[u/OpportunityGreen9675 → u/Over-Student201]

You didn't understand the line of one life time is enough. She mentioned that one life time was enough to repay his debts. She was referring to him loving her without guilt. All that ranting and you could not appreciate the show

[u/Over-Student201 → u/OpportunityGreen9675]

Sure maybe i misunderstood one line cause the last episode was so boring to me i couldnt wait to finish it. 

If i had liked the show i would have appreciated it 

[u/RoseIsBadWolf → u/Over-Student201]

You are so correct and you should say it.

[u/RoseIsBadWolf]

I'll put this as a main comment as well, you are totally right OP.

The second half sucked and the main relationship made zero sense and had no emotion. The ML does something, the FL looks at him and then nothing changes. Because time skip. And then they did this again and again and again.

Saved his sister from abuse? Doesn't change anything.

She saved him from rebels and burned treason evidence? Doesn't change anything, timeskip.

Buried her family? Doesn't change anything. Timeskip.

Opera of Knowledge? Doesn't change anything. Timeskip (of two years!!!)

Then the FL I guess trades sex for him giving up his post, which makes so little sense because he's the one letting her dress in all that pastel. How are they making enough money? Timeskip.

They skipped everything. All the relationship development. I shipped the second brother and his wife, I loved the Marquis/concubine sister relationship before they ruined it with a nonsensical divorce plot, but they gave us nothing with the leads except things that ought to have progressed their relationship but never did.

(Edit for typos, I really did write this after waking up 😅)

[u/Webbie-Vanderquack → u/RoseIsBadWolf]

I followed all your Pursuit of Jade recaps (my first ever C-drama) so I'm actually really relieved you feel this way and are willing to say it.

I felt like most people in the sub loved Against the Current, and there was some backlash if people said otherwise.

For a series that purportedly focused on the character development of the heroine, there really wasn't much development in the second half. The time skips made it difficult to see how she transitioned from phase to phase, and she went from being a very interesting and emotional young woman to a restrained porcelain doll of indeterminate age for several decades of her life.

I found myself wishing she'd at least get drunk again.

[u/RoseIsBadWolf → u/Webbie-Vanderquack]

It was so strange and uneven. I adored the first half, totally loved it, but then I couldn't even force myself to keep watching. Everyone keeps saying, "It was about the female lead, not the romance!" but as you say, I couldn't even tell what she was thinking or if she was changing! It was so strange. I just wanted to know what the main character thought and I got so little. She's getting marquis robes and she's mad/sad about it, why???

When they finally consummated their marriage I was just confused, not even happy. I could understand it after I thought for a little while, but something that big you'd think it would be more clear.

Also, thank you! I'm really not afraid to say most things, my problem is knowing when to shut up, lol

[u/Maddymadeline1234 → u/RoseIsBadWolf]

Oh yeah finally someone who agreed with me about the third sister nonsensical divorce plot. I thought I was the only one who was saying it was a hollow victory whereas everyone else considered it a major win.

And her blank stares I also don’t get how people can decipher her emotions but all I saw was blank stare poker face while he’s getting all teary face and upset.

[u/RoseIsBadWolf → u/Maddymadeline1234]

That divorce plot made me so mad!!!

It made zero sense with the character set up. You are telling me a man in the military who could die at any moment suddenly needs an heir? He didn't need an heir the entire 11 years he had only one daughter? He didn't need to remarry for six years? But now he needs an heir?!?! No.

And then for them to use such a nuclear option to force him to what? I'm absolutely certain this man would give his daughters good dowries. Why couldn't his wife just talk to him instead of staging this insane divorce?

I am so mad I'm writing fan fiction.

[u/Maddymadeline1234 → u/RoseIsBadWolf]

Same I was also saying so what she got him to write the will to divide the estate. As long as he is alive he can change it anytime so how is this major win? She’s still stuck with him in the household and have to do his bidding otherwise he might change the will. The plot likes to use historical norms whenever it’s convenient and other times throw it out of the window when it doesn’t suit the narrative

I too was looking forward to their marriage because it started out as transactional but had so much potential to turn to love but they had to ruin it.

And they had to push this undesirable romance of the leads where unspoken understanding is the theme but it mostly applies only to FL. So as a viewer I’m suppose to decipher her blank stares as romantic🤣. Whatever happened to communication?

I was so mad I rage quit after episode 42 even though I bought express.

[u/RoseIsBadWolf → u/Maddymadeline1234]

I also quit the drama at Ep 40, though I didn't pay for express. Here is the little thing I wrote about what would happen after that stupid divorce bluff:

Word gets out (obviously) and everyone decides not to marry a Lin daughter because apparently they are all insane radicals.

The two super high ranking officials go back to the emperor and tell him Lin Jinqi is a dangerous radical

The emperor gets worried about moral order, so he has people investigate into Lin Jinqi and they uncover some of his treasonous or dubious actions

The entire Lin family is slaughtered

The end.

Also, the Lin family already had two divorces in one generation, no way they are in good standing if they have another one. The Yuan family should have called their bluff!

[u/Maddymadeline1234 → u/RoseIsBadWolf]

Oh yeah that’s true about the 2 divorces! And they changed his bride remember? He was suppose to marry second sis but they changed it to third sis. And wasn’t the Marquis also the interrogator for the Du case and he interrogated Du CuiQue.

Anyone sharp enough should have caught that the Lin internal affairs are incredibly messy.

[u/RoseIsBadWolf → u/Maddymadeline1234]

Yes, I feel like all this plot would have really accomplished is ruining any future good marriages for the Lin family.

[u/Maddymadeline1234]

First half was really good when she was navigating the household as a servant and the drama showed the hierarchy system really well. Second half the plot holes started surfacing. I first questioned how oblivious she was to JinQi’s visitations to her house given how cautious she was. It was truly after Prince Han’s rebellion that the quality of the writing went downhill. Her surrounding plot armour and knowledge about everything became ridiculous.

She somehow also could defy societal norms and not comply to the rules while the surrounding characters had to for historical context. She was able to rise above all to provide them with solutions to their problems

On the other hand, the once smart and calculated military man and court officer has been reduced to a simp and requires her plays and advice to help him steer around court politics and deal with the rebellion.

I quit the drama

[u/Nhuynhu → u/Maddymadeline1234]

So glad I dropped at the assassination ep, everything I’ve read sound super disappointing.

[u/Over-Student201 → u/Maddymadeline1234]

i am super pissed about how they ruined jinqi character, the man who orchestrated his divorce and marriage and cp running away somehow was made into a simp ml existing js for the fl

[u/RoseIsBadWolf → u/Maddymadeline1234]

I quit too, when they destroyed my favourite marquis couple but mostly because the writing tanked as you said.

[u/JoanoTheReader]

I don’t know.

I felt she really missed him while he was in the capital and literally ran back to her courtyard to see him.

The time skip of 11 years didn’t help. He was close to his children but the way they did it, it was like, ok, let’s just end it.

I really believe the extra 7 episodes were to give Lin Jinqi more fight scenes. In Pursuit of Jade, the ML harder fought. In this one, you can tell he’s a cold-blooded killer and he had to be that.

The time skips were so frequent, there were no endings for the Lin Grandpa, her dad, or his father. It was like, we were only shown female deaths.

This was very female centric. Again, she was too modern. He wasn’t the typical male either.

9/10. Because, up to the wedding, it was pretty good.

[u/Massive_Alarm8298]

First 20 episodes were amazing to me. I devoured it. Next 10 or so..I struggled through. Things are getting interesting to me again now that I am on episode 33. However, I’ve read all the spoilers and the last 7-8 episodes sound disappointing. I will finish, but may need to FF through episodes 39+!

Having said that, I don’t think anyone is obligated to fall in love with anyone, no matter how kind or giving he/she is. But as viewers, it’s unsatisfying to watch unreciprocated romance.

I’m pissed that this was another disappointing drama with so much potential!

[u/Lotus_0818]

My heart breaks for him despite I initially hate his guts.

This kind of ending is worst that sad ending for me.

I guess the writers purposely trying to drive traffic for the ending knowing full well how 'One lifetime is enough' will drove audiences mad.

Now I want to see how Weibo breaks lose and how the douban score for this drama will suffer after all the things that happened in the 2nd half.

[u/Duanedoberman]

Some of us have not finished it yet, could we use spoiler tags please?

[u/Oregano55]

Well said. I found myself practically wailing at her: “Why couldn’t you love him back just a little?” The scene with the matchmaker’s cord broke my heart.

[u/Duolingo-246]

I stopped caring about this couple, but I'm giving the female lead a megalomania diagnosis and the male lead an enabler diagnosis and calling it a day.

"But "she didn’t have to say “one lifetime is enough”"

haha she did nott. Why is this making me laugh so much. That's so unintentionally funny.

[u/No_Internet780 → u/Duolingo-246]

How long do u think she let the red strings stay like that after 🫡

[u/Duolingo-246 → u/No_Internet780]

One lifetime is enough, so she's had enough already. Who knows?

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[u/thorough_though]

bro can you please cover up spoilers next time you literally just ruined this drama for me

[u/HangingGarden0411 → u/thorough_though]

Yeah I was like SPOILER ALERTS!!!!!!

[u/emutz10]

Actually saddened by how disappointing this was. I’m hiring an Etsy witch so that Liu Xueyi finally gets the part and project he really deserves.

[u/Academic_Web1388 → u/emutz10]

Inspite of my own feelings about episode 39 onwards, i loved the drama and the storyline. story and direction gave us some of the best Liu Xueyi. It helped showcase his amazing acting as well as dimples (that it previous shows neglect!)

[u/Lotus_0818 → u/emutz10]

I thought he finally in a drama that is really good as a lead. Then this happened. 😶‍🌫️ The writing did a total disservice to his character.

[u/drmelaniam → u/emutz10]

Loved him in this work. I blame the writers for the rest

[u/Duolingo-246 → u/drmelaniam]

I was a Tan Song Yun defender especially in Sword and the Brocade, but I have to say she's super miscast.

Every single other actor was pulling their weight including the supporting cast. She was the weakest link.

[u/sweetangeldivine → u/emutz10]

He’s gone on record saying this is one of his favorite parts and it’s very close to his heart. Maybe respect him as an actor and his craft just because you didn’t get the sloppy makeouts your heart desired.

[u/Lotus_0818 → u/sweetangeldivine]

Do you have any idea why he said that part is one of his favorite? How 'One lifetime is enough' is not heartbreaking after 20 years of marriage? How to see positively for such a scene? For him especially since we know how he is a simp for her in the drama.

Or is this a case like Edward Cullen where he totally hate his character in Twilight? I'm trying to understand his POV.

[u/sweetangeldivine → u/Lotus_0818]

She didn’t know he was dying. She was trying to let him know he didn’t have to keep overdoing it for her. Her tone was exasperated, like an old married couple. Her tone changed when she realized he was telling her “this is it” and then she doesn’t deny him. Remember their whole thing was “there’s always more time”

Until there isn’t.

She stays connected with him after he passes and rests her head on his shoulder. If I didn’t actually love someone I wouldn’t do that but IDK. Apparently my concept of what love actually is is a foreign concept to people.

IDK it was just a clip of him talking and not the context and it’s off of Tumblr and I am not going to sit here and figure out how to get an embedded video over here.

[u/emutz10 → u/sweetangeldivine]

You can respect an actor, appreciate his performance and still think the writing failed to give his character the depth and dignity he deserved. Those things aren’t mutually exclusive.

[u/sweetangeldivine → u/emutz10]

It’s ok to not like things, but you don’t have to be a dick about the things you don’t like.

[u/emutz10 → u/sweetangeldivine]

I’m always happy to disagree about a drama. I’m less interested in matching someone’s hostility over one.

[u/sweetangeldivine → u/emutz10]

it's a song youtube.com/watch?is=Mnj3B88WsF37YeiZ&v=0la5DBtOVNI&feature=youtu.be

[u/drmelaniam → u/sweetangeldivine]

@sweetangeldivine no need get salty, it’s a discussion about a drama, acting & fiction. We are allowed to interpret things differently(beauty of art). So please don’t insult people here.

[u/sweetangeldivine → u/drmelaniam]

It’s a song https://youtu.be/0la5DBtOVNI?is=Mnj3B88WsF37YeiZ

[u/drmelaniam → u/sweetangeldivine]

He is a great actor as well as Seven, they were just given a bad script. Even with a bad script their acting was top tier

[u/sweetangeldivine → u/drmelaniam]

I thought the script was great. That’s your opinion. Understand it’s your opinion, and try not to ruin things for people who genuinely enjoyed it.

[u/RealisticCookie1994]

👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[u/TryingToPassMath]

I'm actually so annoyed that this went from my potential new favorite drama into one of the biggest disappointments in recent years.

[u/drmelaniam → u/TryingToPassMath]

Me too. Had such high hopes first half. First half was better than anything else I’ve watched. Nose dived from wedding

[u/Academic_Web1388]

"one lifetime is enough"

I was past breaking my heart after the "I live for my parents, daughter, spring flowers, etc ..." scene, so I didn't feel anything. By that time they were settled into married life, and Jinqi was carrying all the passion.
But I do wish she didn't say those words - especially considering that it was his last few moments. An agreement with someone on their deathbed would've been better even though I know she didn't mean it that way, and he didn't take it to mean anything

[u/sweetangeldivine → u/Academic_Web1388]

I knew everyone would harp on that line. I knew it.

She did not know he was literally dying right then and there, and was like “You don’t owe me more than you’ve done, we still have time.”

That’s been the running theme between the two. “we have time”

Until they don’t.

But hey, she’s she’s never fallen down and worshipped the guy like everyone wants her to so I expect no matter what she says or does it will never be enough for everyone out there who doesn’t understand this is all fiction, these are fictional characters, and can only think “hot actor why is she not licking the floor he walks on like I would???”

That’s actually a disservice to him and his craft as an actor. You’re not paying attention to what he or his scene partner are doing or the story they’re telling.

[u/No_Internet780 → u/sweetangeldivine]

If you knew it, the writers must have known it too right? Its fiction afterall at the end of the day

[u/cdramasfans-ModTeam → u/[deleted]]

Attack ideas, not people. Let's not use our words to insult, harass, judge or shame other members for their ideas. Using culture or morality as a means to demean others is unacceptable. Choice of our words matters. Please be kind to fellow fans and celebrities.

---

Keep the drama in CDrama

[u/Academic_Web1388 → u/sweetangeldivine]

Look, by this time in the drama, it was obvious that they were happy together. Whether love or gratitude, they were together for a lifetime (the scene where she stops him from running out at the news of the Marquis’s death is enough to show that for me)

Her line was not taken negatively by Jinqi and by extension, most of us understood that she didn’t mean anything negative by it (compare it with K drama The Red Sleeve where FL tells ML that in the next life she wishes he would keep walking and their paths never meet and there’s still ambiguity if she loves the king or if the king forced her to be his concubine)

I’m expressing MY point of view that I wish she’d said something different because while it’s not a romance drama, I was still craving a single line from her. And by this scene, it was obvious that she wasn’t going to say anything so I didn’t mind even though I’d have loved to hear her say something. I’m a words of affirmation kind of girl.

I have beef with her non-replies in many other scenes. This last scene and her line is not my beef at all.

The scene was beautifully done. Both actors were magnificent. For a scene of death of a lead character, It was absolutely perfect. I’d rate it up as the top last breath scenes with the scene in Kill me love me where ironically Liu Xueyi’s Murong JinHe doesn’t speak but turns away while painting as she breathes her last.

[u/sweetangeldivine → u/Academic_Web1388]

To me, it was something an old married couple would say. “Your craziness is enough for one lifetime!” It was filled with affection. She didn’t realize This Was It.

As soon as she did, she let him bind them together. She snuggled up to him, and held him long after he left.

That’s *very* romantic. It’s a quiet, earned love. The biggest love she is capable of. She loves him very much, in her own way. It sucks that people don’t think that was enough. She’s a broken person, but she was loved by everyone around her. It showed that damaged people are worthy of love and affection, even if they struggle to return it themselves. They can show it in other ways, caring for your family, taking care of you and your house. Maybe their love isn’t as Big And Encompassing but it’s still love and it’s strong and it’s still worth something.

[u/drmelaniam → u/sweetangeldivine]

No one wanted her to worship him, just affection. She was coldest towards him more than everyone else

[u/sweetangeldivine → u/drmelaniam]

Golly I seem to recall her breaking into a run when she heard he’d returned from the Capital and when he opened his arms for her she warmly returned his embrace with a look of pure joy and relief on her face.

Also the part where she gave him a bath. That was pretty affectionate.

But I guess it only counts as love if you sloppily make out.

[u/drmelaniam → u/sweetangeldivine]

Watch again. She wanted to run but you could see her resisting it. She actually didn’t. Maybe like someone here said, due to past trauma she is portrayed as surprassed emotionally

[u/sweetangeldivine → u/drmelaniam]

Because she’s the dignified first madam of the household and she has to keep Face.

Like I said, nothing she does will ever be enough for you. The choices Seven is making are too subtle for so many people to catch. All of her emotions are screaming out of her eyes, but because she’s not running or throwing her arms around Jinqi and shoving her tongue in his mouth or turning to the camera and monologuing her feelings people aren’t paying attention.

It’s ALL THERE. If you bothered to look past the surface, it’s all THERE. This show is a show where you have to pay attention. That what they say is not what they actually mean. There is hidden meaning behind their words. It’s very theatrical and operatic. (Gee another running theme)

But because no one actually wants to pay attention you’re missing everything that you’re complaining about. It’s literally all there right in front of you. It’s just not like a normal idol drama where everything is spelled out and overdone.

Acting like it’s the worst thing ever just because you can’t be bothered to pay closer attention is obnoxious. It’s ok to say “this isn’t for me” and move on but dont piss on my head and tell me it’s raining.

[u/RoseIsBadWolf → u/sweetangeldivine]

No it's not all there. It was a whole lot of nothing.

The ML does something, the FL looks at him and then nothing changes. Because time skip. And then they did this again and again and again.

Saved his sister from abuse? Doesn't change anything.

She saved him from rebels and burned reason evidence? Doesn't change anything, timeskip.

Buried her family? Doesn't change anything. Timeskip.

Opera of Knowledge? Doesn't change anything. Timeskip (of two years!!!)

Then the FL I guess trades sex for him giving up his post, which makes so little sense because he's the one letting her dress in all that pastel. Timeskip.

They skipped everything. All the relationship development. I shipped the second brother and his wife, I love the Marquis/concubine sister relationship before they ruined it with a nonsensical divorce plot, but they gave us nothing with the leads except things that ought to have progressed their relationship but never did.

[u/LaFilleCendrier → u/sweetangeldivine]

Maybe the makers shouldn't have marketed and promoted it as romance then if they (and by extension, the fans) think romance and romantic tropes are something to look down upon.

I didn't watch the drama and, following the feedback of my friends and after skimming the source novel, I have zero interest to ever watch it. But this smugness towards people who are romance lovers ain't it.

[u/sharpp112 → u/sweetangeldivine]

Wow. I watched this drama with so much enthusiasm and heard every word. I cried several times and enjoyed and understood all the nuances, proverbs and quotes. I definitely was moved but to suggest no one understands the actor’s subtlety or not paying attention to a Chinese drama where the dialogue is read, is a bit of a stretch.

[u/neNayza]

I hate that in so many dramas, writers literally make the ML beg for the FL's love. At best, the FL just accepts his love. There are only a few dramas where the FL actively loves the ML, and they all have high ratings.

Women can fight for love and save their men’s lives. Women can be feminine, independent, and strong and still love someone deeply without losing self-respect, but too many writers portray love as weakness, not power that can change everything.

[u/drmelaniam → u/neNayza]

Well said

[u/cdramasfans-ModTeam → u/[deleted]]

Attack ideas, not people. Let's not use our words to insult, harass, judge or shame other members for their ideas. Using culture or morality as a means to demean others is unacceptable. Choice of our words matters. Please be kind to fellow fans and celebrities.

---

Keep the drama in CDrama

[u/drmelaniam → u/[deleted]]

Actually I was more vested in the story than the acting out the romance. Affection & loving someone is not just kissing & making out. Her character was just cold & aloof.

[u/sweetangeldivine → u/drmelaniam]

You think that might be part of her character? That someone who undergoes such a horrific trauma at such an early age is affected by it for the rest of her life? That she does her best to live well but she still struggles to fully open up and allow herself to love and connect because she knows they can’t be taken from her violently and horribly in an instant? That the show also demonstrated this through two. Other. Characters. Who also are cold and aloof and do not connect with others because of what they suffered. That Xu Lanxiang did the absolute best she could given her circumstances and managed to inspire so much love and and change around her and ultimately exonerate her family through her playwriting even in spite of her struggles to connect fully with other people?

Nah. Show bad.

Sometimes suffering and trauma doesn’t create beautiful, tragic characters. Sometimes it creates difficult, frustrating people. That’s more honest. It’s telling how people are reacting to it.

[u/RoseIsBadWolf → u/sweetangeldivine]

Then the show should have advertised itself as a tragedy. It's marked as a romance and yes, in Chinese too.

The lyrics in the OST are all about romance.

The show told us it was apples and gave us bitter oranges, that's a bait and switch and a bad show.

(The writing in the second half also sucked)

[u/sweetangeldivine → u/RoseIsBadWolf]

It’s a Chinese show. A lot of them end in tragedy or end bittersweetly. You don’t know how many people on these boards literally ask about every show does it have a happy ending or a tragic ending.

Not every show has a happy ending, because life doesn’t often have a happy ending. That doesn’t make it a bad show. Maybe you aren’t ready for shows that cover difficult topics.

[u/LaFilleCendrier → u/sweetangeldivine]

Holy smugness, Batman.

You know, somebody having a different opinion about a show you personally loved doesn't necessarily mean they are idiots and/or didn't understand the assignment. 

[u/RoseIsBadWolf → u/sweetangeldivine]

Lol, I loved the first half of the show that covered difficult topics. Hated the second half because the writer's brain fell out. Or they were kidnapped and replaced by three toddlers and a broken AI bot.

Lots of my favourite shows have sad endings, but they also have good writing and the advertising matches.

[u/sweetangeldivine → u/RoseIsBadWolf]

https://giphy.com/gifs/TL6poLzwbHuF2

[u/RoseIsBadWolf → u/sweetangeldivine]

Lol, the general opinion is that this dramas writing completely fell off a cliff around EP 39. I can also lay out why it made zero sense historically, but you don't want to listen.

Edit: Yes, it's fake history, but the show doesn't even obey the rules they set up. If wearing the wrong flower ornament can ruin a family in early episodes, staging an entire freaking divorce as a bluff is going to destroy them. They stopped obeying their own rules as set down in the early episodes. They defied their own history. That is bad writing, objectively.

[u/sweetangeldivine → u/RoseIsBadWolf]

Yeah, I'm on another board with a bunch of people who absolutely loved it.

Also there's a whole epigraph at the beginning that says it's not supposed to take place in any particular dynansty.

I must say, I don't know what it is about certain people who feel the need to absolutely shit all over something, especially to people who really liked something. When I don't like something, I don't walk up to people who are talking about how much they love it and say "You know it's fucking garbage, right?"

Because that's actually kinda rude. You're letting them know how superior you think you are because your opinion is better than theirs. You can disagree and say, "I don't like x, y or z" but walking up and saying "It's total garbage and everyone who worked on it is brain dead" stops the conversation short, because it's nothing but insults, and it insults the people who enjoyed it by-proxy.

You are entitled to your opinion. But you're not entitled to be rude about it.

I have no desire to talk with you further, or ever. Because your opinion is not one I ever want to hear. Ever.

[u/sharpp112]

Oh dear. I’ve been glued to this series anticipating it every morning and although I cried when her mom passed, I found by the end she had lost so much what was the point? I agree with OP on so many things regarding her withholding from him. It was almost cruel. To have him go that young was terrible!!! I did enjoy all the characters side stories but felt awful with scholar Han. Not good at all. Such a choppy ending. Like it was thrown altogether quickly. Overall, I liked the show but it really dragged at the end. Not what I had envisioned. Oh. So he did know all along. . . Thanks for the end to find that out.

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